Jail-Beatings

Jail-Beatings

Article excerpt

HALIFAX - Statistics gathered from federal prisons and provincial facilities in four provinces show jailhouse assaults -- including one recently captured on publicly released video -- have been rising.

The Office of the Correctional Investigator has prepared data showing a rise of 93 per cent -- up to 581 assaults last year -- compared to a decade earlier and a sharp rise in recent years.

They vary in severity from minor contact to beatings that result in lasting injuries.

In Nova Scotia, the number of assaults jumped by about one-third from two years ago, with 287 assaults so far this year.

Provincial facility beatings in Ontario are up compared to a decade ago and Alberta's annual rate of assaults roughly doubled over the past eight years. …